


double date

by BabaTunji



Series: MCU Ficlets [2]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cousin Incest, M/M, Post-BP Movie, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Pre-Slash, Street Racing, muscle cars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-29 21:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19838941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabaTunji/pseuds/BabaTunji
Summary: A year and a half after the events of BP, T'Challa pays Tony a visit.





	double date

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Galaxiaa7](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galaxiaa7/gifts).



> The pre-slash refers to T'Cherik. Tony/Rhodey is established relationship. Fun little jaunt, for my gf's birthday week. (A little late sorry)

-:- Tony -:-

“Try the brioche bread, best in the city. Except for this place in Rhode Island, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the outside, but the food is phenomenal.” Tony is rambling, it's easy to do sitting across one of the most powerful men in the world right now. King T’Challa doesn’t look much different than the last time Tony saw him. Stevens on the other hand looks nothing like the kid who’d approached him years ago at a mixer at MIT. T’Challa reaches for the bread and breaks it in half before handing a piece to Stevens. The room around them is empty; Tony had rented the restaurant out for their visit. Rhodey said it was overkill, but right now Tony’s glad they’re alone and no one can hear him ramble to two unresponsive guests.  
  
Rhodey is better at making conversation than him for once. Tony is pretty sure it’s because Stevens likes him. They trade names and stories like old friends even though Rhodey has at years of seniority on Stevens. Apparently they’d crossed paths more than once over the years. T’Challa is more sedate at Stevens’ side, but he knows some of the names Rhodey mentions. Neither T’Challa nor Stevens seem to like him. If he didn’t know better, he would think Stevens is flirting with Rhodey, but he thinks that's just them shit talking.

Tony knows T’Challa did his doctorate at Oxford. But then the black academic community isn’t that big since all 3 men have 0 degrees of separation acquaintance-wise. T’Challa seems to enjoy watching Stevens and Rhodey go back and forth, occasionally inserting himself. Tony doesn’t feel left out or anything. But it’s making him wonder why they’d asked to see him and Rhodey in the first place instead of just Rhodey.

It's not like they were friends. Considering. After the whole fiasco with the Captain and Winter Soldier, T’Challa hadn’t contacted him. Then almost two weeks later, he made a public announcement revealing the true nature of Wakanda to the world. Besides the initial disbelief, Wakanda’s existence had seemed like a fast way to justify world war 3. If nothing else for the little bit of tech they’d show-cased. Countries like the U.S. certainly didn’t need more than probable cause to bomb the shit out of an unknown African country. Lucky for everyone, Wakanda has managed to stay one step ahead of potential disasters. Fast forward 1.5 years and they were on their way to having the world by the balls. Correction, they did have the world by the balls. Maneuvering in a manner, Tony has to admire. Even if it’s tanking businesses like his globally, but that was just the price of doing business with Wakanda.

And now they were sitting down to lunch, like Tony and Rhodey both wouldn’t be questioned extensively sometime this week on what they talked about and what the King of Wakanda is doing in New York.

“Mr. Stark.” Tony comes back to the conversation when Stevens calls his name.

“Tony, please.” It's the second time he’s said that.

“James says you used to race, even built some cars.” When had they started talking about cars? Tony had to pay better attention.

“Still do, why? Do you race or are you more of an engineer?” Tony answers the statement with a question. Stevens had been an engineer of some sort back at MIT working on his Masters if he remembered right. Before he answers, Stevens exchanges a sly look with King T’Challa.

“Bit of both. I’m more interested to see what sort of cars you favor.”

“I have a garage in the city, we could fly over.” That sounds like a much more interesting way to spend the day. Even if they’d only really agreed to lunch. Rhodey sends him a look and Tony amends, “If your schedule isn’t too busy. We only said lunch.”

“I think I want to see how my cousin here, does with your cars.” Stevens’ tone is casual, mostly teasing, but Tony catches the look that passes over the King’s face. He wonders if they have some sort of bet going. Now more than ever he understands why T’Challa hadn’t blinked at his suit or his tech. Wakanda had much better. So for someone like T’Challa to drive his special made cars… well it would definitely be a show.

T’Challa speaks after a moment, an explanation. “Wakanda favors a different style for personal vehicles. N’Jadaka prefers American designs. Hence his curiosity.”

Tony nods like he understands.

“Wakanda doesn’t have muscle cars?” Rhodey sounds surprised.

Stevens shakes his head a little exaggerated. “Nope. I mean, kind of, but not the type Stark has.” Whatever Wakanda had was probably better by benefit of being a good 60 years ahead of everyone else, but Stevens is apparently not satisfied.

“I think you’ll like my collection. Some of it was featured in a magazine few years ago.” Tony is pretty proud of them, it made the occasional illicit street race even more fun. Even if he always got fined now, since his cars were distinctive.

“I know.” Stevens sounds excited. Tony doubts T’Challa had planned a meeting with him just so he and his American cousin could drive some nice muscle cars but the distraction after the meal is more than welcome.

A few hours later at his garage in Upstate New York, Tony knows for a fact the King of Wakanda came down to see him just so his American cousin could drool over his cars, oh and beat him in a race. They’d talked some business at the end, an invitation to a Wakandan led coalition but Tony is pretty sure that was an afterthought.

-:- Erik -:-

“So, what are the stakes?” James sounds a little too excited considering what they’re about to do. Huh, guess he and Stark really were evenly matched. Not that Erik could throw any stones. This had been his idea.

“I’m not sure. My cousin and your snow bunny are the one’s driving.” He savors the way James’ eyebrow twitches. Erik hadn’t known Rhodes and Stark were a thing back then, now he had indubitable proof. Stark had gotten a lot more obvious once DADT got repealed. Said ‘snow bunny’ is now messing around with something that looks like it could be an engine off to the side. T’Challa is watching Stark mess with the contraption.

Erik leaves him to it, he’s here for one reason and it isn’t to watch Stark mess with his tech. There are 5 cars on the floor, in varying shades of black, red and gold. Iron Man and War Machine colors for sure but undeniably sexy fucking cars. He slides into the driver’s side of the one that has the most black and gold and tries not to drool over the array. Not up to snuff by Wakandan standards, but undeniably a muscle car. None of that ergonomic, eco-friendly, holographic shit.  
He’s messing with the settings when T’Challa and James walk over.

“If you drool too much on the upholstery, we’ll have to get it detailed again.” James looks a little too amused by Erik’s car boner so he bites back: “Why are you not in a car right now? I know old age is soft but there are drugs for that.”

T’Challa shoots him a look and Erik grins. James takes the dick joke in good humor though. “Don’t worry about my dick, Stevens. I’m not the one driving and neither are you. You wanted a race didn’t you?”

He did. He really did. He also wanted to drive one of these bad boys, or girls. He didn’t care which they were.

“Where’s Stark?” If he takes too long, Erik is driving off.

“Here! Had to make some last minute adjustments, for our Wakandan driver here.”

Erik blinks, “Why? You need the handicap.”

Stark laughs, unbothered and obviously very cocky if he was offsetting the odds for T’Challa’s usual driving style.

“Laugh it up. What’s the route?” James pulls up something on his phone and a holographic display pops up. Not as interactive as Wakandan tech but fancy for Stark tech. Erik plots the dotted parts in his head. They’d probably have the map up in the car, but he doesn’t think they’ll need it.

“We might run into some other drivers on this route. I gave the cops a tip so they shouldn’t bother us till the very end.” Tony explains all business now.

Erik raises an eyebrow James’ way. “You condone this?”

James smirks, and if Erik was 10 years younger and not already stuck on someone else, he would definitely want to ‘talk’ to the older man later. Seduce him to leave his charity case and vacation permanently in Wakanda.

“Why do you think he has to pay the cops?” James’ retort is horrible but Erik laughs anyway. T’Challa is the only one that doesn’t get it.

Erik explains after a minute of choking on his tongue. “They fine Stark over here, because he has the gall to ride with his black husband. Probably didn’t bother in the first place till they saw James riding one of these monsters.”

T’Challa frowns and Erik smiles placating. “I’m sure Stark over here uses his rich white guy privilege appropriately in relation to the esteemed Lieutenant James Rhodes.” Stark looked like the type to ruin people’s lives if they were dumb enough to look at James wrong. All that money had to be good for something.

“It’s Colonel actually.” James corrects.

Erik raises his hand in an appeasing gesture. “Yes, Sir.”

T’Challa steps forward to open the driver’s side. “Are you ready now N’Jadaka?”

Erik nods, then shimmies over to the passenger side.

When T’Challa settles into the driver’s seat, a voice comes over the car’s sound system. It’s Stark. Huh, so they could talk directly to each other from the car’s system.

“We’ll warm-up with the drive there. So you don’t whine too much when you lose.”

Erik snorts ready to retort something nasty, but stops short when T’Challa speaks first.

“Thank you, Tony. I hope we do not lose you on the way there.” T’Challa’s response is perfectly respectful, said in that dry tone of his. Erik approves.

James gives them both a thumbs up before sliding into the car Tony’s driving. The garage door is already open, so they roll out together.

T’Challa seems utterly relaxed, one hand on the wheel the other on the gear shift. Stark really had modified it to emulate the Wakandan style. Not perfectly but good enough. Erik watches his cousin maneuver, oversized hands appearing just right on the car’s steering wheel. He hadn’t worn the gold chain Erik got him today. Maybe next time. His cousin made stationary driving look hot.

Erik tells his brain to stop. Refocuses on the road ahead. James hasn’t given the signal yet, and from where Erik is sitting looks to be engaged in some heated conversation with Stark. This isn’t part of the actual race, but they were all competitive fucks. The conversation tapers off to something that sounds suspiciously like kissing, then a few seconds later a soft musical trill sounds. T’Challa presses the gas. The takeoff is textbook smooth, gears shifting perfectly controlled. 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds. T’Challa spares a grin in his direction and Erik's heart drops. Yeah, he's fucked.


End file.
